


Apple Cider Spirits

by LadyStardust_24



Series: Whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Irondad, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Whump, i don’t follow directions well, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 08:57:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20871578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyStardust_24/pseuds/LadyStardust_24
Summary: Breezy with bees,apple pulp rises under the grinder,shreds of flesh and skin glistening,the amber liquid drippinginto the tin acidic bucketSeptember. Last monthyour grandmother was murderedby some incidental drifterwho cracked her in his armsuntil her poor heart burstIt is as if every deathis the first death; my fatherred with bedsores; our daughterswollen bright beyond us.Can God want such a harvest?Memory squeezes us drybeyond sweetness, beyond weeping,our twisted expressions turningpulp into the compostfor the long winter ahead.We lift our cup of sorrows,Burn our taciturn tongues,and then this wild embracing, asthe bees go on about their businessmaking threats and honey.Apple CiderRonald Wallace





	Apple Cider Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Warm drinks/Explosions

Tony is staring out of the window of his tower holding an empty glass. He’s trying to come up with a good reason to not fill it with some of the secret bottle of bourbon he has hidden from Pepper and Rhodey. He’d been doing well staying sober, a promise he’d made to Pepper in exchange for her accepting his proposal. But as always, when the weather turns colder, so does his mood. It just reminds him of the anniversary that’s inching ever closer. Pepper isn’t there at the moment to distract him and his mind is racing over various plans and conversations and paranoias and final family arguments. He just wants it to stop and he just wants to forget. 

Just as he tells himself “fuck it,” and turns to grab the bottle, F.R.I.D.A.Y. stops him in his tracks. “Mister Parker is on his way up and he seems to be in some distress,“ she announces.

It feels like his heart is about to jump out of his chest, gripping the counter tightl. “Is he hurt?” _not him, not him too_ “F.R.I.D.A.Y. is he okay?”__

_ __ _

__

“Mister Parker seems to be fine physically but emotionally he seems unwell,” she says softly and if he didn’t know any better he’d think she was trying to calm him down. Tony lets out a relieved breath. 

“Okay,” he says after the anvil on his chest eases up a bit. “Okay. I can work with that. Thanks Fri.” Just then Peter walks out from the elevator. Tony could tell he’d been crying not to long ago. His cheeks were flushed and eyes were rimmed with red. “Hey, Pete!” Tony says with faux cheer, trying to hide his dimming panic. How was school?”

“Fine,” the boy answereds shortly. Yep, Tony thought. Definitely upset. The kid rarely gives one word answers. 

Peter drops his bookbag on the floor and climbs up onto one of the barstools at the counter where Tony is. “Anything you wanna talk about?” Tony asks. 

“No,” he answers, fiddling with his fingers.

“Want anything to drink or eat?” The kid always went through at least two bags of doritos every time he was there.

“No.” Okay then.

They sit in awkward silence for a minute, Tony not wanting to pry and get the kid mad, and Peter obviously not wanting to divulge himself. But Tony doesn’t want to just let it be, he hates when his kid--THE kid, he has to correct himself--is hurting. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong Pete? I’m not trying to pry but if something’s wrong, if you want, I’m all ears.” It’s funny, Tony thinks, how much this kid has changed him. Two years ago he would have frozen up at the thought of emotions and talking. He cared of course, but Stark men were men of Iron, and emotions had no room. Fucking Howard.

Peter hesitates for a moment, obviously looking like he wants to spill what’s on his mind, but after his eyes briefly flickers up to Tony’s he looks back down at the ground and quietly says “No.” 

“Okay.”

They sit there for a few more uncomfortable minutes. Tony is trying desperately to think of something to say when he sees the fruit basket Pepper had set up, and inspiration strikes.

“Let’s make apple cider,”  
“I’ll tell you soon,”

they say at the same time. Looking at each other they say “What?” simultaneously again. After a moment of staring they both break out into laughter. 

“Okay kid,” Tony says still chuckling. “What did you say again?” Peter quickly sobers and starts fidgeting again.

“I um I said that… well, I was just saying that I’ll tell you soon. What’s wrong with me, I mean.”

“It’s not dangerous is it?” Tony asks, anxiety spiking.

“No! No, nothing dangerous,” Peter says, eyes softening. Tony has to look away. “Just, um… some kids at school were making fun of me about something that was actually true and I want to tell you just… not yet,” he finishes bashfully.

“Okay,” Tony answeres, recognizing that was all he was going to get from Peter about it tonight.

“Wait,” Peter says grinning. “‘Did you say let’s make apple cider?’”

“Yes I did,” Tony replies, slapping his knees and standing up. Walking over to the cabinets he grabs a stockpot from under the kitchen sink. “C’mere kid, I’m gonna teach you my mother’s recipe from when I was a kid. The only thing she would make herself for the holiday parties.” Peter hops off the barstool and walks over. Tony notices Peter’s demeanor morph into something almost reverent. Tony chuckles. “It’s just a drink kid. No need to look so serious.” Peter blushes.

“Well, it’s not really just any drink is it? Your mom made it. And you don’t really talk much about your parents so…”

Tony turns not knowing what to say so he clears his throat. “Anywho. The secret ingredient that makes it better than other homemade recipes, and definitely better than store bought, is a tad bit of orange...”

They spend the next hour or so chopping up the apples and measuring the ingredients and chopping up more apples when the previous batch gets ruined in a minor food fight. They let their potion simmer on the stove and sit on the couch for a Star Wars marathon.

Just as they start movie number two, they hear a loud explosion. 

“What the hell was that?!” Tony bellows as they both run to the kitchen. When they get there, they see the entire stovetop and floor covered in spicy smelling amber liquid. “Shit, I must’ve forgot to set the damn timer. Peter grab the paper towels from the cabinet,” he asks turning off the over. When he doesn’t hear footsteps he turns and sees Peter on the floor, tears streaming down his face desperately trying to stifle his laughter. Upon seeing Tony’s face he can’t contain it anymore and throws his head back in pure joy, which causes Tony to join in on the absurdity. The older man can’t help in that moment think, yet again, how grateful he is to have the--his?--kid in his life. He was so close to falling back on old habits to forget his past and there was Peter, allowing him remember the good without pain. For a while at least.

Eventually they give up trying to clean and fill their cups with what was left in the pot. And if they fall asleep, Tony’s cheek on top of Peter’s head with an arm wrapped around his shoulder, watching the end of Empire Strikes back, stomachs warm with cider and love, no one has to know.

**Author's Note:**

> There was an actual cider recipe I found and had in mind when writing this. I’ve never made cider myself but it sounds fun and really yummy so here’s the link if any one is interested. Hope you enjoyed the story! 
> 
> https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a28224491/homemade-apple-cider-drink-recipe/


End file.
